Looking for an easy party backdrop for an upcoming event? This one is your answer! This party background is super easy to make and costs just around $5 in supplies!
This is the easiest and cheapest party background. In the history of ever.
Really, I promise.
Would I lie to you?
Why absolutely not!
This is one of the many DIY party decorations I made for my daughter’s 1st birthday party and it was also probably the easiest, but yet the largest scale one!
Go figure, right?!
This party backdrop costs about $3 – $6 to make depending on how much you spend on your plastic tablecloths. You can buy the $1 tablecloths for it at the Dollar Tree or you could splurge a little and buy ones that are about $2 or $3 at Party City. It’s totally your choice and it’s totally customizable – you can choose whatever colors you want to for it. Personally, I got my tablecloths from Party City because they have a huge variety of colors.
To make this, you’ll need about an hour or so, but it’s an easy hour!
Party Background
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Materials Needed:
- 3 Plastic Rectangle Tablecloths (colors of your choice, I paid $2 for each of mine at Party City.)
- 4-8 Thumbtacks or Pushpins
- Good Sharp Scissors
Steps
The video below will show you exactly how to make the party backdrop step-by-step. I’ve also included written instructions below the video as well.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”yhS6773x” upload-date=”2016-08-16T14:38:10.000Z” name=”Rain on a Tin Roof – DIY Party Backdrop” description=”Make this less than $5 and very simple diy party backdrop to spruce up any party! All it takes is a little time and three plastic tablecloths.”]Step 1
Determine if you want your background to hang horizontally or vertically. The one shown in this post you are reading now is hung horizontally because it worked better that way for the space I was hanging it on. I have made these and hung them vertically though as well. You can see a vertically hung party backdrop I did for the sparkly horses birthday party here.
Step 2
Once you decide which direction to hang it, open up one of your tablecloths and put it on the wall with thumbtacks. For mine hanging horizontally, it took 6 thumbtacks. Just start in one corner and tack it up as you go. Once you have the first tablecloth up, step back and decide if it needs to be leveled out in any places and adjust as needed. You can put the tablecloths in any order when it comes to color. In the end, all the colors basically mix together. If you’re really particular about one color showing more than the others, then put the one you want to show more as the last layer on top of the other tablecloths. There will be a little sliver of it that will show more at the very top.
Step 3
After the first tablecloth is up, open up another one and layer it on top of the first one. I did this by removing one tack at a time, and then putting it back through both tablecloths. Repeat with the third and final tablecloth.
Step 4
Next, take a pair of regular scissors and cut strips up to about 3-4 inches from the top of the tablecloths. You are going to cut all three tablecloths at once when you cut a strip. I didn’t even measure the width of my strips, I just eyeballed it. They were each probably around 3-4 inches wide.
Step 5
Once all your strips are cut, you are going to braid each set of strips together. Start on one side of the backdrop, take your first set of strips (one of each color that you cut at the same time), and braid them together from the top down. You only want to braid down far enough to hold the strips together. You don’t have to start with a certain color and end with another one. Just braid each set together – once more, all the colors will blend together in the end. Here is how mine looked when I braided it after I had cut all the strips.
Once you have braided all your strips, you’re done!
Told you it was super simple!
The white thumbtacks were driving me crazy at the top, so I punched out balloon shapes from pink & blue card stock and put them over the tacks with square photo mounts.
DIY Party Backdrop: Helpful Tips, Tricks, and Questions Answered
Can I make this ahead of time and then take it to the party location and hang it up there?
Yes. What I would suggest doing is lay all the tablecloths on the ground, if you don’t want to put them on your wall. Put some heavy books or something similar along the top to keep them in place, then cut the strips and braid them as stated above. Once braided, you should just be able to pick it up and take it with you.
Could I do this with more than three colors?
You bet! I did this same backdrop with six colors right here!
Could I staple this together and then attach it to a wall with tape? The place the party is located at doesn’t allow thumbtacks in their walls.
I definitely think you could staple it together along the top. As for the tape, I would recommend using a wide width FrogTape. It’s strong, but shouldn’t take the paint off the walls.
Have you ever made a DIY party background before?
See how I put a spin on this backdrop for the kid’s 2nd birthday by layering in more colors here!
Looking for more easy DIY party decorations?
Birthday Photo Collage – perfect for birthday parties, graduations, anniversaries and more!
DIY Party Banner – no fancy cutting machines required! You’ll just need scrapbook paper and scissors!
DIY Bunting Cake Topper – another one where you’ll just need some scrapbook paper!
DIY Cupcake Pedestals – so cute, yet made from thrift store finds!
DIY Party Hat – if you’ve got five minutes, you can make this adorable party hat!
Want to come back to this birthday party backdrop idea later? Just pin the image below!
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